Liquid control gear



Feb. 25, 1947.

F. R. wlTTNEBER-r LIQUID CONTROL GEAR Filed May 15, 1945 Patented Feb.25,1947 f;

UNITED `STA"rE-s PATENT OFFICE L VLIQUIDJII. onlin 4 I Sperry Products,Inc., H

ration of New York oboken, N. J., a corpo- .Application May 15, '1945,Serial No. 593,894

(Cl. (M -54.5)

v 4Claims.

e 1 This invention Vrelates toliquid control rgear of the type whereinmovement of a member at a ytransmitting station is caused to controlmovement of a member at :a receiving station. More particularly, thisinvention relates to one-pipe systems wherein the movable members arenormally under pressure. Such systems are. disclosed, for example, inthe patent to H. S. Hele- Shaw and T. E. Beacham No. 1,983,884, grantedDecember 11, 1934, and in the patent to Alfred N. Lawrence, No.2,197,554, granted April 16, 1940. In the first of these patents, aconstant force is applied to the liquid in every po-sition oi thetransmitter handle to balancea constant force-at the receiver. VIn thesecondpatent, ya continuously increasing force is appliedlto the liquidAin `rprogressive positions of the transmitter handle to balance aVsimilarly increasing load-on the -receiver. In either of theaforementionedcases, the operating and operated members arev in normallybalanced condition andwill tend Yto retain any positions into which theymay be moved.

However, unbalance may occur either because of.

A'variations in the load or -because of expansionfor contraction of thekliquid in the transmission system. Such unbalance will tend to changethe position f the receiver, or operated, member and thus introduce yanerror. It is therefore one of the principal objects of this invention toprovide lockingfmeans adjacent the receiver which will normally lock thereceiver inoperated position so as 'to prevent actuation thereof b-yvariations of load'on the receiver or by expansion and contraction oftheliquid. `Itis a further object of this invention to provide lockingmeans as described above which will unlock the receiver instantly andautomatically inlr'e's'ponse'to actuation of the transmitter handle in-either direction to increase or decrease the pressure in thetransmission line.

It is still another object of this invention to .provide a liquidcontrol' gear in which any of a plurality of transmitters may actuatethe same rec eiver without affecting the othertransmitters. This visaccomplished by interposing a brake of the type described above in theconnection between eachtransmitter and the common receiver.

Further objects and'advantages of this invention will become apparent inthe following detailed description-thereof.

The accompanying drawing isan assembly of a liquid control gear showingmultiple transmitters and a common receiver, with brake elementsappluiedthereto. t.--Re'ferring lto, the drawing, there is showna Iliquid control gear systemico-mprising a plurality an. operated memberM.

For applying forces to theliquid .column .there may be provided in .eachtransmitter T, T' lacylinder IG Within which operates a trunk typepiston connection CC' or CC, which is iilled with liquid extendingfup tosaid piston. For operating the saidipiston ina direction to transmitforce to the liquid column, there may be provided a transmitting element'in the form of a lever l5 connected to operating handle H and pivotedin casing .I6 at Il, said lever having an arm I8 pivotally connected atI9 to the upper end of piston rod`20 pivotally connected to the pistonat 2|. As .the handle is moved in the direction of the arrow, .thepiston is lowered to cause the column of liquid'to move through the ductC'C. The force vwhich is normally applied to the piston is determinedbya loadingspring 22 seated against a bracket 23`Xed.

upon a sleeve 24 pivoted at 25 within the casing i6. The other end ofsaid loading spring bears against a bracket 26 xed to a, member 21having a rod 28 slidable within the sleeve 24, so that said spring isextensible. The member 21 is pivoted at V29 to an arm y30 of lever I5.The position of the spring and its connections is such that the springacts through a small lever arm to apply a slight lloading force toarm IBand the piston lll when the piston is in its uppermost position, but asthehandle H is actuated in the direction of the arrow it will be seenthat the spring acts through an increasing lever arm. At the same time,however, the spring is extended so that While it `acts through a largerlever arm it applies a, decreasing4 force'assaid arm increases. Theforce appliedto the piston'l-I, which is a product of the .springv forceand the lever arm, may be constant in every. position vof handle I-I, oritmay continuously:in.

. crease ordecrease as the handle moves from oneV limitingv position tothe other, depending upon the design.

The force applied to the liquid columny CC'fis applied to the receiverAwhich is fundamentallyv the same as the transmitter, but connected tobe operated oppositely-toi the transmitter. :Similar A synchronizingmechanism is provided in the;Y

form of a valve 35 which normally closes communication by way of passage3'I between the Y fluid reservoir formed by the interior of casingy I6and the cylinder Ill. At'the upper end of thevv piston stroke, a pin 3|on handle H is 'adapted to rock a crank 32 around a pivot 33 .to depressa rod 34 against the action of a spring 36 to openy valve 32.

The transmitter T s a duplicate of mitter T and will similarly operatemember M through connection CC.

It is quite apparent that if the `load onmember M should change, or ifthe liquid in the connection CC' should expand or contract, the positionof member M would be .changed and an error in the operated member wouldthus'be introduced. In order to hold the operated mem-` ber, M inoperated position regardless of temperature changes of the liquid, or ofvchanges in the load on the member, there is positionedin the connectionbetween the transmitter and the rereceiver may be actuated selectivelyfrom any of a plurality of transmitters, and provision is fur--communicates with inlets 54 andd by conduits branching fromjoint J. Itwill now beapparent lthat when transmitterT is operating, the variationsin pressure produced in duct C will have no eiect on transmitter Tbecause such pressure variations are being applied radially to theVpiston valve 5I' in the closed position thereof. Similarly when'transmitter T is operating, the variations in pressure produced in ductC will have no effect .on transmitter T because such pressure variationsceiver, but closely adjacent the receiver;a lock B.`

' 'The locking meansB is provided with a cy`y lindrical bore 50 withinwhich slidesa lapped piston valve 5I. The bore 5B is closed at one end,`and .communicates at its` other end at inlet 53` with the duct C' sothat the liquid under pressure of piston il is appliedaxially to thepiston valve 5I to tend to move the piston valve to the left. whichnormally maintains the piston valve in balanced position, in Vwhichposition the valve closes communication with duct C at inlet '.il.`Inlet 54 applies force from duct C radially with` respect to thepiston'valveand therefore varia tions in pressure on member M will notaffect the valve. -It will now vbe seen'that actuation of handle H inone direction or the other, will increase or. decrease the pressure onthe liquid in` duct C which will imbalance the piston' valve 5I to moveit in one direction or the other. yMovement of the piston valve lto theleft will establish'comrnunication between the duct C and the` duct Cdirectly through bore 50, while movement of the piston valve to theright, will establish communication between C and C by way of passages130 and 4I in the valve. As Soon as handle H is no longer actuated, thebalanced condition will again prevail on the ends of the piston valvewhich will be restored to balanced position to break the connectionbetween ducts C and C,

Thus, in the normal, balanced position of piston valve'l, the operatedmemberM is locked in positionY and cannot be affected by changes in .65'are applied radially to the piston valve. Also, by

pressure in duct C, since the pressures in duct C making the totalresistance to movement cf the piston valve' 5I greater than theresistance' to` 3 movement of the piston I I, any changes in tem-Vperatu're in duct C' will vary only the position of the transmitterhandle and will not aifect the member M. The latter will therefore notbe subject to errors in positioning due to temperature variations of theliquid in duct C.V

This tendency is balanced by a spring 52 are being applied radially tothe piston valve 5I in the closed position thereof. Thus, by the use ofthese locks, the receiver may be operated from either transmitterwithout affecting the other transmitter. f' By placing locks B and'Bclosely adjacent the receiver, the ducts connecting the locksV to thereceiverare short and therefore there is relatively little liquid whoseexpansion andr contrae# tion can vary the setting of the receiver memberM. The bulk of the liquid is contained between the locks and thetransmitters so that temperai ture variations will affect the setting ofVfthe .transmitter handles, ,as hereinbefore set forth, Withoutappreciably affectingthe position fof the operated member M. Inaccordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have hereindescribed the principle and operation of my invention, Atogether' withthe apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodimentthereof, but rI desire to havefit understood that the Vapparatus shownis only illustrative and that the invention can be `car' ried out byother equivalent means. Also, while it is designed to use the variousfeatures and elei ments inthe combination and relations described, someof these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with themore gen-v eral results'outlined, and the invention extends to such use.v Y' Having Vdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

' l. A hydraulic' remote control system comprise ing a plurality oftransmitters, a receiver, means for connecting said transmitters to saidreceiver; said last-named means including a common duct and individualducts leading from said common duct to the respective transmitters lsaidducts being filled with liquid, means for maintaining said transmittersand said receiver normally responsive to variations in pressuredelivered.

thereto at an angle to said direction, means whereby pressure from therespective transmitter is delivered to said movable means in the givendirection, and means whereby 4pressure from the direction of thereceiver or the other transmitters is delivered to said movable means atan angleto said given direction. T'

2. A hydraulic remote control system compris?" 'ing'a plurality oftransmitters,V a receiver, means for connecting said transmitters tosaid receiver, said last-named means including a common duct andindividual ducts leading from said common duct to the respectivetransmitters, said ducts being filled with liquid, means for maintainingsaid transmitters and said receiver normally under pressure, and lockingvalve means interposed in each of -said individual ducts and havingmeans for normally disconnecting the respective transmitter from thereceiver and from the other transmitters, said last-named means beingmovable to connect the respective station to the receiver only inresponse to variations in pressure delivered thereto in a givendirection but unresponsive to variations in pressure delivered theretonormal to said direction, means whereby pressure from the respectivetransmitter is delivered to said movable means in the given direction,and means whereby pressure from the direction of the receiver or theother transmitters `is delivered to said movable means normal to saidgiven drection.

3. A hydraulic remote control system comprising a plurality oftransmitters, a receiver, means for connecting said transmitters to saidreceiver, said last-named mean-s including a common duct and individualducts leading from said common duct to the respective transmitters, saidducts being nlled with liquid, means for maintaining said transmittersand said receiver normally under pressure, and locking valve meansinterposed in each of said individual ducts and having means fornormally disconnecting the respective transmitter from the receiver and`from the other transmitters, said last-named means comprising acylinder having a piston movableaxially therein to connect therespective transmitter and the receiver, means whereby pressure from thedirection of the respective transmitter is delivered to said pistonaxially, and means whereby pressure from the direction of the receiverand the other transmitters is delivered to said piston radially.

4. A hydraulic remote control system comprising a plurality oftransmitters, a receiver, means for connecting said transmitters to saidreceiver, said last-named means including a common duct and individualducts leading from said common duct to the respective transmitters, saidducts being filled with liquid, means for maintaining said transmittersand said receiver normally under pressure, and locking valve meansintermal pressure from the direction of the respective transmittingstation.

FRED R. WITTNEBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,193,736 Onions Mar. 12, 19402,186,266 Onions Jan. 9, 1940 2,185,277 Stelzer Jan. 2, 1940 2,247,302Levy June 24, 1941 2,372,189` Dougherty Mar. 27, 1945 2,389,962Dougherty Nov. 27, 1945 1,840,866 Rayburn Jan. 12, 1932

